Like floating on air: The Weser Skywalk

Enjoy fabulous views of the Teutoburg Forest from the Hannover Cliffs

Take a different view of the world from on high: The Hannover Cliffs provide breath-taking views of the Teutoburg Forest.

Sheer cliffs tumble into the depths, the river Weser glistens down below while the eye wanders to gnarled old trees in the distance. Visitors who scale the heights of the Weser Skywalk near Würgassen on the eastern fringe of North Rhine-Westphalia will be rewarded with magnificent views of the upper Weser valley. From this 80-metre-high vantage point, the landscape of the Teutoburg Forest takes on a whole new aspect. Visitors who dare to step onto the open grating, which juts out over the russet Hannover Cliffs by more than four metres, will be rewarded with the unique feeling that they are floating high above the river.

There are a number of ways to reach the Weser Skywalk. From the carpark on top of the cliffs, the viewing platform can be reached along a 300-metre path. Visitors arriving from the centre of Bad Karlshafen and its railway station can take a two-kilometre-long trail to the extraordinary viewing platform. Finally, from Würgassen, the “Holzweg” path leads to the attraction while providing lots of interesting information about forests and timber along the way.

Rare plants and butterflies at home on the Hannover Cliffs

Whichever route hikers and walkers choose, they will end up in a unique natural habitat dominated by the Hannover Cliffs. The rocks here are home to the great survivors of the plant world. These include lichens, which can get by with the bare minimum of nutrients. Trees have also flourished here for centuries since the steep slopes have made the area all but inaccessible to foresters.

One surprising discovery for such northerly climes is the abundance of butterflies on the Hannover Cliffs. As the south-facing cliffs receive plenty of heat from the sun during the day, which they are able to store at night, they have become home to many species which usually prefer warmer regions like the Mediterranean. Well over 500 butterfly species have already been identified in this section of the Weser, and they have been joined by other animals and plants which are usually found at more southerly latitudes.